Elastic suspension wheel



July ze; 192%: mami-4 D. Pz L BURGUIERES ELSTIC SUSPENSION WHEEL Filed sept. 9. 1926 Smeetsheez 2 Patented `luly 26, 1927.

UNITED STATES y 1,631,214 PATENT oFFlcE.

DENIS P. J'. BUBGUIRES, 0F LOUISAV, LOUISIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH T0 `GODFREY CHRIST, OF LOUISA, LOUISIANA. i

ELASTIC SUSPENSION WHEEL.

llpplication led September 9, 1926. Serial No. 134,586.

The present invention relates toresilientwheels, and has for an object to provide a wheel embodying cushioningor shock absorbing features without the use of pneumatic tires or springs, and a Wheel Which may be used for Steering, or driving, and may be used upon passenger and commercial vehicles and the like.

Another object of the invention isl to provide a Wheel wherein the resilient connecting medium is a rubber disc or sheet which may be used singly or in multiple, and thus adapt the Wheel structure to variations in load carrying capacity Without sacrificing either the strength of the wheel structure or the resilient qualities which it is desired to impart to the wheel.

Another object of the invention is to provide a Wheel structure of this character arranged, so that the resilient or rubber discs may be interchanged or renewed and may be increased or decreased in number with but relatively little Work and without the exercise of great skill and labor and without the use of special tools. i

Another object of the invention is to provide a wheel structure embodying all of these features and which may be equipped with a disc cover or the like, so as to impart to the wheel the ordinary a pearance of a disc wheel, and a Wheel which is relatively light in construction, well balanced andwhivh occupies no more space than the average automobile wheel.

y With the foregoing and other objects. in view, the invention'will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto. y

'In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout of several views,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of theV rear'end of fa motor vehicle equipped a wheel constructed according to this invention. i y' `liigure 2 is an enlarged, outer side view of a wheel constructed according tov this invention vwith the` cover plate of Figure 1 Omitted; y

Figure?, is anelevation of the inner side ofthe wheel, showinga brake drumapplied thereto. o Y y i l Figure 4`is an enlarged transverse section taken en the ling 4--5 pf Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a similar view taken on the line '5-5 of Figure 2. of s F igure 6 is a reduced side elevation of the Wheel having the adjacent resilient disc removed, and o i Figure 7 is a detail side elevation of the floating hub plate employed.

Referring to the drawings, 1()Y designates a rim or fellyof awheel which is of ordinary construction and which may be equipped with a cushion or Solid tire 11 for contact with the roadway. The rim l0 com` prises a pair of annular iange sections having inturned ange plates 12,'which extend inwardly toward the axis of the Wheel, but which terminate in a relatively large annular opening 13, as shown in `Figure 6. These liange plates 12 are of similar construction and size and are spaced apart by a spacing ring 1.4 arranged between the outer edge portions of the plates 12, the plates 12 and the ring 11 being clamped in superposed relation, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, by a series ot outer clamping bolts 15. Slidably fitting between the flange plates 12 of the rim is a floating hub plate 16, `which isiof less exterior diameter than the internal diai meter of the spacing ring 14 to permit the plate 16 to have an eccentric movement be tween the flange plates 12. The plate 16 is provided with a central opening 17 through which a hub 18 may pass, the hub being of any suitable construction and shown in the present instance as having on one end an outturned fiange 19 for carrying inner clamping bolts 20, which also engage through the i'n ner portion of the hub plate 16. The ihub also carries a clamping ring 21 and a spacing ring 22 for clamping and centering the hub plate 16 upon the hub and also securing one or more resilient discs 23,. which. are secured at their. inner edge portions upon the hub 18.` The clamping bolts 20ans ar-` ranged in an inner circular seriesabout the hub 18, so as tti-effectively `clamp the `portions in the inner marginal edge of each resilient disc 23 with Vsufficient firmness tosnpportl the hub 18 and' the loady imposed thereon within the rim 10. The bolts'15 are arranged in an outer circular series withinj the rim 10 and are of sutlicient number to irmlyclamp the interposed outer edge por tions of the resilient ldisos -23against the flange plates 12, at the outer' edge portions ofthe latter. Y l d f can The rim;y 1O;,;is rj thus electively` connected Y to r thearesilienti discs '23. AIn fthe drawings 4there is shown but one resilient disc 23"-at eacmhide ygj;ftllieWheel, but itis understood tha iaiiyidesirdnumber yWithin practical limits may be used for obtaining the desired resiliency or strength of the `Wheel according to the load to tlie imposed on the wheel.

The inner circular series. or'row ofbolts 201nay also be utilized for clamping a brake drinn124;` againstftheinner side of the lwheel and over the inner disc 23` so thatthebrake drum :24. may be Y usedsinr thel ordinary manner-as an internal and externalbraking yinember. i :-"l`l1"e" floating plate 16thus overlaps or extends between the iiange plates 12 asulicient"A distance to len'dthe desired rigidity tovthe Wheel against `lateral orrtwisting acf tionsgsothatlthe Wheel maintainsfthe rim 10 `inatrue perpendicular' plane tothe axis ofi-rotation 4of the wheel and its hub. Thev wheel may thusbe utilized'on the Jfront of airmotor Vehicleorthe like-Where thel wheel isemployedlin steering the vehicle, and also side play is `offset incident to the swinging of the Vehicle upon a curve of short radius.

#For the `purpose of strengthening the wheel and insuring `its driving and braking character, the langeplates 12 and the floatingvplate 16 areeach provided with circular rowsof openings. 25 and 26, theopenings 25 beingf'relatively large," while the openings 26 arerelatively` smalland the openings being disposed in an intermediate alternate circularxrow `in the Wheel. The arrangement is `such i thatY in assembling the wheel the large; openings'1 25 of, the floating plate 16 are'ibroughtinto register with the small openingsf 26.ot the flange plates 12. ;Anchoring` bolts 27l of sufficient size to snugly fit .thef smaller.` openings 26 `are passed throughthe registering op`enings'25 `and 26,- sowthatf'the loatingfiplate16` is `permitted of` an eceentricmovement between the plates 12within the limits of the -diaineterof the largerlopenings25. s-'llllefb'oltsf27 also pass throughthe resilient discs 23`52so as to clamp the adjacent'portionsf of the discsi-23either directly-f upon the Iilange plates 125@ or di-v rectly upon the bolts 27, the. clamping upon the plates and theiibolts being` iny ,alternate rpositionstlnoughontthe circular roWJ 1 'i zThis` f arrangement adisposes a relatively shortslength or area .et the resilient i discs 23:,bfetween ,the alternateigpoints of attach-` Inentfof L thediscs 1 to the y"flange plates 12; and

the i ,floating y plate lov 5to support the latter -in normally i truef L concentrici relation` with- 'in theilwheelfiand to snspend the plate 16 and its 111115,18: within the Wheel at any portion notl only from there topqof the i rimi 110, l but also :tromcthe bolts127of .the ange plates 7 whichN `.are f disposed Aabove the medial horizontal plate of Wthe hub of.thaiWlllel- It .willalsobe noted from Figure 4: that the bolts 27, Which are carried upon the iange plates 12 arey providedron opposite ends with clamping Washers 28 arrangedin pairs and disposedY against the oppositesides of the resilient discs-23` to provide a relativelyz large surface area for clamping the discs to the flange p1ates12. These bolts 27 which pass through thesinall openings 26 of the fiange plates, are wpl'ovidedwith spacing sleeves 29, which lic :between the flange plates, 12 and inthe'large openings 25 of the hub` or floating plate, 1G. y Y From Figure will be noted that the bolts 27 are carried inthe small (nienings y 26 of thehub plate 1G .and that clamping washers 30 are arranged in pairsat nopposite sides oftheresilientdiscs4 23, but that the inner washers 3() are provided with spacing sleeves or ianges 31 which abut the iopposite sides of the hub plate 16 and hold the resilient dises 2" out of lcontact with the liangev plates 12. i .y j The marginal edge portions of the discs 30 and 28, rvhererthey` overlap the large openings 25, arefbeveled at their edges or rounded, so as to cani over the marginal edges of the openings 25y and thus prevent any possibility ofi4 binding of the washers as they are moved eccentrically with respect to the openings 25. v i 1 y i i It is, of course, understood that `the* arr rangement ofthe `Washers2t `andf30 may be` other `than `as shown towmeet different conditions fand so asto. accomplish the` der, sired alternate clamping action Qfithees silient discs` 23 upon the rimr on Harige; plates I'fv it is desired, a conicalidi@ 32 may Ybe,secured,against the outer sident the wheel, as shown in Figures l, 4 anglplj;

thecorer plate` 32being4 preferahlyot metal i andsecured at its outer marginaliedgepor@ tion beneath the bolts lzfand having ahah, cap structure 33; at its, central c or apex i -pprtion disposedy linfaurial` alinement with g `the hub iltwhen. in npl'malfapositiemof met The structure of the hub cap 33 isf to permit of the gfreevoating ormovinggof V.the huby 18p` within then/heel incident tp i ShOCkfend i load imnosed on .the hub.D r f a v i t i Should the resilient discs 23 becomevgmilig tilatedzor otherwise impaired againstfnse, the' bol's'? may bfeled ,uren/te engage the marginal edges ofthe openings'n-angl thlll4 i Supporti; the ioating plate p16-mythe Wheel and.remitiotttheeceenrjsa'elleger ina travel of the plate on the marginal edges of the flange plates 12.

In Figure 1 a motor vehicle 34 is shown of the passenger type and upon which one of the wheels is mounted, the cover plate 32 with its hub cap structure 33 being clearly shown, and also illustrating that the wheel hasthe eneral appearance of a wheel of ordinary isc type.

It will be noted that from this structure the entire weight of the hub and the parts supported theieon is transmitted to the rim of the wheel through the resilient discs 23, and that by the provision of the openings and 26 with the bolts 27 and washers 28 and 30, the resilient discs 23 are reinforced so that the surface area of the discs is sub-divided into small portions which independently take up the strain and Weight and consequently increase the strength and life of the resilient disc 23.

From observing Figure 7 it will be noted that the floating plate or disc 16 is provided with a number of small openings arranged between the openings 25 and 26 and about the central opening 17 to receive graphite or otherl like lubricant adapted to work between the discs 12 to reduce frictional contact between the parts and prevent scraping mitted to move eccentrically to an extent determined by the diameter of the large openings 25 through which the bolts 27 pass.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of this invention without. departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims lVhat is claimed is l. A resilient Wheel comprising a rim having a pair of inwardly extending flange plates, a hub member having an annular plate slidably engaging between said flange plates, said flange plates and hub plate having registering large and small. openings disposed alternately in a circular row, a resilient disc connecting the hub to the rim, and bolts engaging through said large and small openings and through the adjacent portions of the resilient disc for connecting alternate portionsof the resilient disc to the flange plates and the hub plate.

2. A resilient wheel comprising a rim having spaced inwardly extending flange plates, a hub having a hub plate lying between the flange plates, a resilient dise connecting the rim and hub to normally support the latter centrally in the Wheel, and aI circular row of bolts secured through the resilient disc7 the flange plates and the hub plate, said flange plates and hub plates having alternate large and small openings about the bolts for connecting alternate portions of the resilient disc to the flange plates and the hub plate.

DENIS P. J. BURGUIRES. 

